USA TODAY Sports' Paul Myerberg counts down to the start of the college football season team by team from No. 128 to No. 1.

Florida State plays Clemson, Notre Dame, Miami (Fla.) and Florida, but that's only in the specific sense. FSU's also playing others, though you won't find their names on the Seminoles' schedule.

FSU is playing 1995 Nebraska, though the Cornhuskers are long since gone, remembered only for dominance. The Seminoles are also playing 2001 Miami, the last team to draw such near-universal acclaim from the scouting punditry.

FSU is playing against history, in other words, and history will provide this team's sternest test. That's the barometer: Florida State is competing not against Clemson, Notre Dame and others – they are, but only in here and now – but rather against all the other great teams to come before, from the West Coast, the East Coast, the South, the Midwest and all points in between.

Such are expectations, which have grown wildly since the Seminoles' coming-out party against Clemson last October. That was just the beginning: FSU would win its next seven games by a combined 305 points before a sluggish start against Auburn, though a steadier quarterback, a long kick return and towels led to a three-point victory in Pasadena.

The expectations have been raised again. It's not about wins; it's about perfection. It's not about beating Clemson, sneaking past Notre Dame, defeating Florida; it's about competing on a different level than inferior competition.

It's not about an undefeated season; it's about an unblemished season, and the difference between the former and the latter is the difference between a no-hitter and a perfect game. It's not about earning a plaque on the wall, a ring on the finger, a shower of confetti; it's about carving out a spot in history.

LAST YEAR'S PREDICTION:

Now, I don't think FSU is going to play for the title, let alone take home the program's first championship since 1999; this seems a hair out of reach, in my mind. This season could be more about preparing for a run in 2014, though Fisher would never, ever even suggest this scenario.

2013 RECAP:

In a nutshell: Before Auburn, just one team hung with two touchdowns: Boston College. Everyone else was trounced, beaten like a drum, from national contenders – a Clemson, for example – through the rest, with each would-be spoiler steamrolled into submission with Terminator-like brutality and precision. Auburn had a shot, admittedly, but the better team won; Auburn was a team of destiny, but destiny takes a backseat to dominance. Consider that Florida State's defense led the Football Bowl Subdivision in scoring, allowing 12.14 points per game, and interceptions, pulling down a school-record 26 picks. Now consider that the offense set a new FBS record for points, at 723, and set new ACC records for points per game, touchdowns, total yards and yards per play. There have been great offenses and there have been great defenses; one team hasn't been so great on both sides of the ball in a long, long time.

High point: Beating Auburn to secure the program's third national championship.

Low point: Not applicable.

Tidbit: Twelve Jimbo Fisher-coached quarterbacks have played in the NFL. Three – JaMarcus Russell, Christian Ponder and E.J. Manuel – were first-round picks. In 2014, another three Fisher-coached quarterbacks will start in the FBS: Jameis Winston, Clint Trickett at West Virginia and Jacob Coker at Alabama – I'm just assuming Coker gets at least one start, which seems like a safe bet.

Tidbit (streak edition): A win against Oklahoma State in the opener would give FSU 17 victories in a row, tying the program record set from Aug. 28, 1999, through Oct. 7, 2000. Wins against Oklahoma State and The Citadel would set a new mark.

Offense: The Seminoles are strongest at quarterback. No, at running back. No, along the offensive line. It's an embarrassment of riches: Fisher and his staff have accumulated such an obscene amount of talent across the board – even at wide receiver, as we'll discuss below – to create a scenario where last year's offense, overlooked among the most potent in college football history, might be even stronger in 2014. I know the quarterback's great; he's awesomely talented, in fact. I know there's a guy in the backfield set to explode on the national stage. I know there are two All-Americans at the Seminoles' disposal in the passing game, not to mention a slew of five-star talent set for co-starring roles. This is all true, yet there's nothing I love more than this offensive line.

No unit in college football has come farther in a shorter amount of time. I remember vividly the bowl game against Notre Dame, when a freshman-heavy – and wildly young – group seemed unprepared for the grind of the regular season. Last year's line was light-years removed from those unsteady days; this year's line is the best in college football. Left tackle Cameron Erving is an obvious All-American. When on, left guard Josue Mattias is as consistent as any interior lineman in the country. Right guard Tre' Jackson is, yes, an All-American. Right tackle Bobby Hart, while not optimally long for the outside, seems poised to deliver at an all-league level in his final season. The lone newcomer, center Austin Barron, is a fifth-year senior with enough starting experience to replace Bryan Stork and not miss a beat, though Stork's leadership will be impossible to duplicate. Here's the best part: FSU's depth – that second tier of five guys – is the best of Fisher's tenure. Winston earns the headlines, and deservedly so. But this line sets the tone.

Cameron Erving is an all-American on Florida State's offensive line. And he's not the only one.(Photo: Kim Klement, USA TODAY Sports)

Last season's offense trotted out Karlos Williams (730 yards) in the second half of games long decided, which some term cruel and unusual punishment for opponents already counting down the seconds until the final whistle. The former defensive back – and it's hard to imagine why he wasn't moved to offense sooner – will headline a running game that could go four deep, though Williams is in line for the lion's share of traditional touches. The end result: Williams should run for upwards of 1,400 yards, give or take, and showcase a combination of speed and utter brutality perhaps unmatched by a single back in the country. But FSU has always divvied it up, so look for reserves Mario Pender and true freshman Dalvin Cook to produce at a high clip in reserve. The Seminoles also sophomore Ryan Green, but he's running fourth in the rotation.

Then there's Jameis Winston. No freshman quarterback in the sport has even shown more poise in the huddle, in the locker room, on third down, on first down, on second down, on every down. No sophomore quarterback in the sport has ever entered a season under such a spotlight, due not just to Winston's superb debut – the Heisman, the title, so on – but the off-field missteps that have come to define his college career as much as his on-field production. The NFL awaits, and I give no credence to the idea that Winston's set to return for a junior campaign.

All that's left, amid the microscope-like attention, is another season attacking the record books: Winston is at his best when under center or in shotgun, as we've seen, and there may be no better player in college football when football-focused on the task at hand. Let's not even suggest any numbers, because they'll be outstanding, and not even suggest how much better he can be, because he'll be better – and better, in this case, is a frightening thought indeed for the opponents on this schedule. Put in the simplest terms possible, Winston is a special quarterback with certain leadership qualities unmatched by any individual player in college football. Like FSU as a whole, he has a chance to write his own legend.

Defense: This defense, now run by Charles Kelly, is multiple in a somewhat simplistic fashion: FSU will run an even front against the majority of competition but shift into a three-lineman front when playing power-based teams – and there are fewer power teams than not on this schedule, as is largely the case across college football. So the defense will essentially remain in a 4-2-5 base set even as Jeremy Pruitt heads to Georgia, replaced by Kelly, and the defense will essentially remain among the nation's best despite one or two lingering personnel concerns heading into the opener.

The line is one concern – but only position in particular. FSU is going to struggle replacing Timmy Jernigan, an All-American, on the nose; Nile Lawrence-Stample is a solid successor but not cut from the same cloth, though few interior linemen are. Lawrence-Stample's play in the middle will be even more vital when the Seminoles do line up in a 3-4 set, though that'll be rarer than the 4-2-5. When with four starters, FSU will team Lawrence-Stample with Eddie Goldman along the interior and play Mario Edwards Jr. (26 tackles, 9.5 for loss) – a total stud – and Chris Casher on the outside. When uneven, Goldman and junior Derrick Mitchell will play on the outside, flanking Lawrence-Stample, while Edwards move into a hybrid role on the outside and Casher to the strong side. With nearly unparalleled depth – in terms of overall talent, though perhaps not total experience – FSU has enough options up front to slide easily between three and four contributors, and within each formation utilize size or speed, strength or a first step, brawn or burst and so on down the line.

Mario Edwards could be in for a monster season at defensive end for the Seminoles.(Photo: Kim Klement, USA TODAY Sports)

The front will more than take care of a somewhat pedestrian linebacker corps, all things considered; pedestrian in the sense that the unit lacks star power when compared to every other grouping on FSU's roster. Again, let's consider the Seminoles' starting lineup including two linebackers: Terrance Smith (59 tackles) on the weak side and some combination of Reggie Northrup and E.J. Levenberry – with the former a better fit in the 4-2-5, due to his ability to run in space, but Levenberry a very valuable cog against certain offensive packages. FSU's defense has never shied away from co-starting a pair at the position. It's also fair to include Edwards Jr. and Casher as linebackers, since both will stand up when in a 3-4 set.

Ronald Darby is part of what may be the nation's best secondary.(Photo: Jeremy Brevard, USA TODAY Sports)

The strength of the defense is again the secondary. This group isn't any better than last year's group, I think, since a player of Lamarcus Joyner's do-every-little-thing production is impossible to replace. It's merely just as good, however, meaning FSU will once again house the most dominant defensive backfield this side of the NFL. My favorite player – and I say this knowing that the Seminoles have a simply outstanding cornerback tandem – is sophomore free safety Jalen Ramsey, who looks very much like the program's next great defensive back. But he may spend some time in the shadows behind cornerbacks Ronald Darby and P.J. Williams (35 tackles, 3 interceptions), that sublime starting pair on the outside. Ramsey will technically line up alongside strong safety Tyler Hunter, who returns from injury, Nate Andrews (35 tackles, 4 interceptions) is basically a reserve who plays starter's snaps. Look for Ramsey to spend time as the fifth defensive back, an aggressive, ball-hawking, play-making position made famous by Joyner. But the Seminoles have so much and so many options that any number of jaw-dropping athletes could fill that hybrid role, freeing Ramsey to patrol the back end.

Special teams: That FSU's weakest link is its punter tells you all you need to know about the program's current standard. Everything else on special teams is superb: Whitfield is explosive, as Auburn can attest, Roberto Aguayo is a preseason All-American after a record-setting debut and doesn't allow anything on kickoffs. The only issue is the punter and punt coverage. Florida State is a machine.

Wide receiver: I get the impression it'll take FSU at least a few weeks to belt in a secure rotation similar to the one we saw a year ago, when the passing game essentially circled on four targets. Two of those options return, and both are All-Americans: Nick O'Leary (33 receptions for 557 yards) is the nation's best tight end, in my opinion, and Rashad Greene (76 for 1,128) stands as Winston's security blanket. What's interesting to consider is that the passing game may just end up utilizing more of a by-committee approach, particularly with this unit leaning toward freshmen far more than any other grouping on the roster. Three rookies will get a long look: Travis Rudolph – the most touted of the bunch, and the most likely to earn a starting nod this fall – Ermon Lane and Ja'Vonn Harrison.

The passing game needs a third and fourth wheel – and five or six reliable options altogether, if only for depth purposes, but truly just a third and fourth option to do the heavy lifting alongside Greene and O'Leary. I expect Rudolph to become one of those options by the time the calendar turns to ACC play. Another should be senior Jarred Haggins, who seems like the most secure choice in the slot.

The Seminoles could also try to work Whitfield into the mix in the slot, but I doubt his overall readiness to become a go-to receiver – maybe in a specific-package role, but not as a true pass-catcher. The Seminoles also bring back senior Christian Green, who should start the first few weeks, as well as sophomore Jesus Wilson, whose strong offseason was derailed by an off-field misstep just before the start of fall camp. The story: FSU has the quarterback and the top two – both of the All-American variety – to keep things humming while a slightly inexperienced tier works into form. Only at FSU, and only on this offense, would a receiver corps with two stars and this much athleticism be viewed as the weakest link.

GAME(S) TO WATCH:

Clemson: While Clemson has shown no ability to stop Florida State – whether on offense or defense – the Tigers could theoretically derail the Seminoles' push for a repeat before the end of September. Theoretically, mind you. The schedule also brings Notre Dame and Florida to Tallahassee while sending FSU away for Miami (Fla.), Louisville and Oklahoma State, the latter a neutral-site matchup in Dallas.

SEASON BREAKDOWN & PREDICTION:

In a nutshell: It's time to live up to expectations. The expectations are simple: Florida State is expected to beat – not just beat; dominate – every opponent on this schedule and win the national championship, securing the first back-to-back titles in program history. There is simply no reason to think the Seminoles cannot achieve this goal. This is not merely a team without weaknesses, since there are other teams without weaknesses. This is instead a team with only strengths, outside of punter, and no other team in college football – let alone a team on this schedule – can match just exactly what FSU brings to the table. This team is engineered to run away with the national championship.

Honestly, I'd be surprised if FSU doesn't do just that. I think the offense is nearly perfect, with the exception of an inexperienced second tier of the rotation and no true game-changing talent in the slot. The quarterback is one of the greats in program history. The running back is going to make a national statement in the starting role. The offensive line is absolutely vintage. The defensive line is weaker at the nose but still a monster, with an ability to slide with ease between multiple sets and formations. The linebacker corps is steady, if not quite up to last year's standard. The secondary is the best in college football. The coaching, unmentioned thus far, is on a different level. FSU's biggest issue is the punter. Again. That's just silly.

The best teams on FSU's schedule – Notre Dame, Clemson and Florida – come to Tallahassee. While earlier Fisher-led teams could've lost a winnable game against a far interior foe, I think those days have passed; I'd be surprised if any second-level team gave FSU anything close to a scare. This is not to say FSU can't be beaten: I just think FSU won't be beaten. But to knock off the defending champs, you merely need to suffocate the top two targets, hit Winston, keep your linebackers clean, score a non-offensive touchdown, stay at least even in turnover margin, run for 200-plus yards and control the clock. Show me a team who can do that and I'll pick someone other than FSU to win the national championship. Got anyone?

Dream season: Florida State wins the national championship.

Nightmare season: The Seminoles lose to Clemson and Florida during the regular season.